Marchand, who underwent hip surgery in the offseason, was expected to miss six months due to post-surgery recovery. Montgomery said yesterday that Marchand was ahead of his recovery schedule and that he would likely make his season debut prior to U.S. thanksgiving on Nov. 24. However, it looks to be sooner than that.

The four-time NHL All-Star has spent his entire NHL career with the Bruins. Marchand was drafted in the third round, 71st overall in the 2006 NHL Entry Draft. Marchand was a very good major junior player and in 2005-06 he helped lead the Moncton Wildcats of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL) to a QMJHL Championship. That next season, while playing for the Val-d’Or Foreurs, Marchand put up a whopping 40 points in 24 games in the QMJHL playoffs, but it was not enough to capture another title. It is one of the higher point totals recorded in the postseason by any QMJHL forward. Through 874 career NHL games, he has registered 795 points (351 goals, 444 assists) Marchand won the Stanley Cup with the Bruins in 2011, where he played a critical role and recorded 19 points (11 goals, 8 assists) in 25 games to beat the Vancouver Canucks. In 2019, he set a career-high recording 100 points in 79 games, the first 100-point marker of his career.

Last season the 34-year-old registered 80 points (32 goals, 48 assists) in 70 games. He then added 11 points (four goals, seven assists) in seven playoff games. The Bruins will be getting a major component of their lineup back. Marchand will be slotted on the top line with captain Patrice Bergeron and Jake Debrusk.